Every year, bald eagles migrate south after the rivers and lakes to the north freeze. Marshall County Conservation Board Director Mike Stegmann said the migratory birds started showing up a couple weeks ago. However, Marshall County is home to at least 12 resident bald eagles.

“A lot of eagles are already here or arriving,” Stegmann said.

How many is a lot? Stegmann had the opporuntity to see 50 bald eagles in one location along the Iowa River.

The winter will determine how many eagles Marshall County will see and how long they will remain. Stegmann said the eagles follow food sources.

“A lot of the northern fish are under ice and eagles also eat a lot of water fowl,” he said. “When the geese and ducks fly south, the eagles follow.”

During the past few years, the bald eagle has made an impressive recovery since the species was almost wiped out. In the 1960s, there was not even 500 nesting pairs and the bald eagle was on the brink of extinction. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service placed it on the Endangered List and 30 years later, the bird of prey was removed from the list.

People can now watch the eagles fly, hunt and fish in places such as Sand Lake on the northeast edge of Marshalltown. Another location Stegmann suggested is Three Bridges which is almost three miles northwest of Le Grand. He recommended going out on clear days with a nice breeze to get the best views.

“Just the other day I saw a pair in a courtship bond,” Stegmann said. “They were in flight and they grabbed talons. It looked like they were sparring with their feet.”

The time of day does not matter if anyone wants to see spectacular avian feats like that.

Viewing the bald eagles is encouraged but Stegmann said even though the species is no longer endangered, it is still the national symbol and thus protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act.

The Act, passed in 1940, prohibits the possession, sale, purchase or barter, export or import or taking of any bald or golden eagle – alive or dead. This includes any part of the bird, such as feathers, nests or eggs. Exceptions are given to zoos, exhibitions and for Native American religious practices.

As a result of the protected status, injured bald eagles should be reported to the proper authorities. Stegmann said the Marshall County Communications Center will contact state game wardens, the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office and park rangers to retrieve the bird and transport it to a wildlife veterinary clinic in Ames.

“I’ve done that before, but only half a dozen times,” Stegmann said.

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Contact Lana Bradstream

at 641-753-6611 or

bradstream@timesrepublican.com